Respite - HS

Wherever You Go.

Harry Styles

The warm light from the January sun glazes over Audrey's face. The apple of her cheek smushed into her pillow, her wild hair strewn about. I could stare at her for days. She looks different when she's asleep, different as in she looks softer.

She's not carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She's just being. I think this might be my favorite Audrey.

Dreading the idea of wasting any time I have left here with her, I drag the tip of my finger delicately down the bridge of her perfect nose. I watch as she adorably scrunches her nose and burrows her face deeper into her pillow, her leg tightening around mine.

Letting out a soft laugh I repeat the action and watch in delight as she blinks open her eyes and sleepily glares at me.

"Stop it." She mumbles scooting herself closer to me.

"No, wake up I missed you." I curl myself around her, burrowing my nose into the top of her hair.

I've never felt so close to someone before, never been seen the way she sees me.

"M'right here, not going anywhere." She kisses my collar bone.

Her words do little to settle my clingy nerves, "Audie baby. Please."

I'm assuming she picked up on the nerves in my voice because she lifts her head from my neck with a furrowed brow.

"Harry what's wrong?" She runs her thumb over my brow bone.

I let out a tense breath, "It's just, today's m'last day here. With you. I don't wanna- I don't know what to do."

I watch as the realization flashes across her face, we haven't talked about what will happen once I leave and I think she was refusing to even think about it, just like I have.

"Oh." She clears her throat and shuffles to sit up a little bit more. "Right. Well, uh, we should... talk about that then right?"

I sigh and squeeze her hip before sitting up against the headboard. "I think we should yeah."

It breaks my heart when I notice how closed off Audrey has become, her body is tense and she can barely look at me.

"Well. What do you um want? I guess." She asks and I can tell in her voice that this breeziness she's trying to put out is all an act.

I grab her chin, "Baby. You. I want you."

"But how? How does this work?" Her face falls.

"I'll take more time off work? To- visit more?" I offer up hesitantly.

I watch in fear as Audrey just blinks at me.

"Harry." She says almost remorsefully.

"No. Baby no. It can work. It has to work." I plead.

She heaves out a sigh and shakes her head, "We can do long distance? Right? We can do that. I'll visit New York, you can come here for a break from the city. It'll be fine." She nods to herself not looking at me.

"I can't leave New York Audrey." I peep out anxiously. "Felix is there. My career is there. I-I don't want to leave New York."

Audrey freezes, "I wasn't asking you to? I know that Harry." Her voice is hard. "You don't think I know that?"

"N-no. I know that, I just want us to be honest and I owe it to you to tell you what I'm thinking."

Instead of responding, Audrey just pulls the sheets from her body and gets out of bed sending my heart straight to my ass. Fuck.